Health Impacts of Drinking Soda

Is soda a digestive or is it a slow poison? Read on to know the health impacts of soda!

Obesity is plaguing this generation by serving as the gateway to a host of ailments. And awareness about the health implications of our choices could be the best weapon to beat it!

Simple daily choices can have a massive impact over a long period of time. Be it lethargic lifestyle or fancy food, experts are ringing the red alarm.

Drinking a can of soda or sleeping late at night seems like simple lifestyle choices. Yet their impact on your wellness meter is astounding. Especially when it comes to obesity and its associated complications!

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Alert on Health Impacts of Soda!!!

Walk into any grocery store and an aisle of soda will be staring at you. The sales of these drinks are so high that they are available around every corner of the street. 

Caffeinated drinks, diet soda, normal soda, cola, sparkling water.

No matter what the name says, these bottled beverages are slow poisons. Even the energy drinks, fruit punches and sweetened water are no better. That’s what researchers say!

Researchers quoted, Sodas contributes to obesity and causes related health problems. They are the major culprit for the rising prevalence of obesity.

When it comes to ranking beverages based on health impacts, soda falls at the bottom of the list. They are high in calories and contains no other nutrients. Several studies have also linked the high consumption of soda to many diseases!

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Ayurvedic View on Synthetic Foods

Ayurveda has always advised against the use of synthesized foods. It says, we must feed on what nature gives us first-hand. Everything else that’s made in the mill is a poison for the body.

Ayurveda has always hailed the natural sources of food. And now modern science too have converged at the same conclusions!

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The Soda Pop culture

Carbonated drinks has been around since the 1700s. But it’s only towards the end of 19^th century it started trending in the pop culture. A can of Soda became the quintessential symbol of coolness. 

Young boys and girls popped the bottle and enjoyed the fizz with unhealthy snacks, gossips and movies. While for adults, Soda became the perfect partner to alcohol. The alluring ads and tempting promotions further blazed the sales.

Statistics revealed that 1.25 billion people in India drink 5.9 billion lts. of soft drinks in a year.

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The troubling tales of Soda

• Soda started trending as the energy drinks in the 19^th century. 
• Its rising popularity triggered a rise in obesity and health crisis. 
• Researchers then looked at the Soda can through their magnifying glass.
• In 1994, the first study linking sugary drinks to obesity got published. 
• Another research blamed carbonated Soda for Type2 diabetes in 2004.
• In 2009, researchers confirmed the link between sugary drinks and weight gain in children. 
• 2014, Soda was linked to hypertension.
• In 2019, researchers said soda is a risky drink for post-menopausal women. It may increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, and early death.

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Health Impacts of Soda

Many studies have examined the flaws of Soda started floating.

I have always been vocal about the health implications of Soda. Most people see no harm in a glass of Soda. It never gets the kind of reaction a glass of alcohol gets. But Soda too is bad for health if not fatal! 

I have explained it to young kids and their parents that many times the root cause of their problems lies in that can of Soda. Obesity, hypertension, hyperacidity are some of the common troubles caused by the thrilling fizz!

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8 reasons by an Ayurvedic Doctor to make you to drop the can!

1. Nobody wants to be Obese

Your favourite Soda can is the one stretching your waist. Most carbonated beverages contain a very high amount of sugar. A can of Coca Cola contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. Now, imagine taking that 10 teaspoons of sugar every day!

Soda is a major reason behind the rising cases of obesity in children. Adults who consume Sweetened Soda on a regular basis also suffer from weight gain and its associated complications.

2. Heart Disease

Drinking one Soda per day can increase the risk of heart disease by 20%. People who drink two cans of Sweetened Sodas per day have an increased risk of death due to heart disease or stroke by 33%. 

Experts say stay away from sugary beverages to spare your heart. Regular intake of soda increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Emerging researches are providing substantial evidence.

3. Kidney problem

Consumption of soda is also linked to kidney problems. Researchers found that regular consumption of diet soda can promote kidney stone. The fructose in sweetened Soda is hard to metabolize and it may affect the kidneys. 

An acidic environment is conducive to stone formation. Water can neutralize the acid in your stomach, but Soda aggravates it. That’s why doctors say cut down your soda and increase your water!

4. Dental problem

Regular intake of soda can also lead to oral health risk and dental problems. Soda contains acidic ingredients that can erode tooth enamel resulting in tooth decay.

Sugar in soda combines with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. Diet or “sugar-free” sodas too contain acid. Acid damages your teeth. Research shows that each attack lasts about 20 minutes. And it starts over with every sip of soda you take.

5. Fatty liver

Since,the fructose in Soda is not metabolized by any cell of the body, except the liver, it all goes to the liver. A large amount of fructose turns into fat in the liver. This is a major cause of the fatty liver problem.

6. Causes type 2 diabetes

Excessive fructose intake can lead to insulin resistance. Numerous studies link soda consumption to type 2 diabetes. The sugar and caffeine are both bad for health. They cause a spike in the blood sugar levels, and regular consumption can cause diabetes.

7. No nutritional benefits

Soda contains no essential nutrients. It is just an artificial drink dumped with sugar and flavours. This means it teases your taste buds, ditches your mind and dumps fats into your belly!

8. Cancer risks

The latest research on possible cancer causes has listed Soda as a possible cause! The high amount of sugar present in the Soda makes it a potential risk factor for cancer. 

What makes Soda So Addictive?

Even after knowing the ugly intentions of the Soda can, why are people not giving it up? 

Soda is addictive.

It contains truck-loads of sugar, and sugar is addictive!

But sugar is not the only thing in the can that arrests your hand.

Most Soda drinks also contain caffeine. Caffeine is a psychostimulant that our brain craves for. 

Added to the sugar and the caffeine in the fizz, that makes Soda an irresistible temptation!

The euphoric feeling of sugar high combined with the stimuli of caffeine is what the brain keeps craving for. Hence, it is tough to give up on the carbonated beverages, even though one does not see it as addictive as alcohol.

An Ayurvedic Doctor on Health Impacts of Soda

The habit of drinking soda or carbonated drinks or sparkling water on a regular basis can lead to several adverse health conditions. From obesity to heart disease, diabetes to cancer, the list is grave. It is a prominent contributor to the deteriorating health factor of this new generation.

 Hence, I strongly suggest that the use of Soda should be limited to a minimum, both in adults and in young children. It can be replaced with any healthy drink that doesn’t come in packaging.